Cleaning device for glass polishing tools



July 10, 1956 E. LAVERDISSE CLEANING DEVICE FOR GLASS POLISHING TOOLSFiled July 9, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lMvENToR .9 10 I 512 010 LAVERPI$SEJuly 10, 1956 Filed July 9, 1952 E. LAVERDISSE CLEANING DEVICE FOR GLASSPOLISHING TOOLS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENT R Epmotfl) LAVER'PISSE AGE NT'SUnited States Patent ice 10, 956

CLEANING DEVICE FOR GLASS POLISHING TOOLS Edmond Laverdisse, Auvelais,Belgium, assignor to L es Glaceries De La Sambre Societe Anonyme,Auvelals,

It is known that glass is polished with the aid of tools calledpolishers, which comprise discs of absorbent material such as felt,which are secured to rigid supports generally consisting of metal. Thefriction surfaces of the polishers are covered during operation with amixture or iron oxide (rouge) and water called the polishingcomposition.

In the course of polishing, the felt becomes progressively impregnatedwith polishing composition and the heat evolved by the friction causesevaporation of the water, the iron oxide dust remaining within the feltand gradually clogging the interstices thereof. The disc hardens andbecomes unsuitable for polishing. The polisher must then be withdrawnfrom the apparatus and subjected to washing with water and scraping witha brush, whereafter it is dried and may be re-used.

This method of cleaning is generally sufficient when the polishers areemployed in the usual manner to rub the upper face of the glass sheet.The abrasive mixture then becomes localised in the neighbourhood of theouter face of the felt which is applied to the glass, and the washingaccompanied by brushing usually gives satisfactory results.

This is not the case with the lower polishers employed for thesimultaneous polishing of the two faces of the glass. In this case, theabrasive mixture deposited on the upper face of the felt tends todescend by gravity into the mass and cannot be effectively extractedtherefrom by brushing.

According to the present invention, the felt disc is subjected to theaction of a vacuum after having been impregnated with water, which ispreferably hot. The vacuum may be applied either to the surface of thefelt in order to cause the polishing composition to rise to the surface,or through holes formed in the support of the felt in order to removethe polishing composition from the surface. The application of thevacuum may be intermittent and may alternate with the spraying of thefelt, or the two operations may be carried out simultaneously. Prior tothe application of the vacuum, it is advantageous to proceed with asuperficial brushing.

The apparatus employed according to the invention may comprise a hood,which is fitted over the polisher to be cleaned and is connected to avacuum pump, or a series of suction nozzles which are moved over thesurface of the polisher, and which may alternate with sprinklingdevices.

In the accompanying drawings, which show diagrammatically, by way ofexample, a number of constructional forms of apparatus according to theinvention:

Figure 1 is an underneath view of a vacuum hood, and Figure 2 is anelevational view in diametral section on the line II-II of Figure 1,showing the hood mounted on a polisher,

Figures 3 and 4 show a modification in diametral section and in top viewrespectively,

Figures 5 and 6 show on a larger scale fragmentary sections on the linesV-V and VI--VI respectively, of Figure 4,

Figure 7 is a diametral section of another embodiment, and

Figure 8 is an underneath view of the constructional form shown inFigure 7.

When it is to be cleaned, the polisher consisting of the layer of felt Iand the metal support 2 is withdrawn from the polishing machine. It isbrushed and sprayed with hot water and the hood 3 of flattened form isapplied thereto, the said hood being connected by a tube 4 to a vacuumduct 5. In the example shown in Figures 1 and 2, the interior of thehood is divided by partitions 6 into compartments which are eachconnected by branches 7 to the vacuum tube 4. A peripheral rubberpacking 8 ensures fluid-tightness between the hood and the felt.

After extraction of the polishing composition by the vacuum, the felt isagain brushed under water and then dried before being returned intoservice.

The apparatus illustrated in Figures 3 to 6 comprises a series ofsuction nozzles 9 connected by tubes 10 to an annular duct 11 which isin turn connected to a vacuum pump by a duct 12. Arranged between thesuction nozzles 9 are sprinklers 13 connected to an annular duct 14 fedwith water through a duct 15. It is thus possible to proceedsimultaneously with the spraying and the extraction of the mixture ofpolishing composition and water. This mixture is collected in a tank 16connected in the duct 12, and the polishing composition may be re-usedafter decanting.

After a certain period of operation, the vacuum is relaxed and anangular movement is imparted to the polisher or to the apparatus inorder to alternate the local application of the vacuum and of thespraying.

Another embodiment is illustrated in Figures 7 and 8, which show apolisher, the support 2 of which has formed therein holes 17 under whichsuction nozzles 9a can be applied, While sprinklers 13a distribute thewater over the upper face of the felt.

However, it is generally preferable to apply the vacuum hood to theactive surface of the felt in order that the clogging substances may notbe forced to pass through the thickness of the felt.

Although the cleaning of a single polisher has been more particularlyenvisaged in the foregoing description, it is obviously possible totreat simultaneously in the same manner a number of polishers mounted ona common beam or support.

I claim:

1. A cleaning device for a felt disc having a rigid backing comprising aplurality of spaced vacuum nozzles circularly disposed, a first annularduct, a plurality of other ducts coupling said vacuum nozzles to saidfirst annular duct, a vacuum source coupled to said first annular duct,a plurality of sprinklers interposed between said vacuum nozzles, awater source and a second annular duct coupling said water source tosaid sprinklers, said second annular duct being concentric with saidfirst annular duct, the circular arrangement of vacuum nozzles andsprinklers being positioned between said first and second annular ductsand being adapted to be supported on one surface of the felt disc havingthe rigid backing so that in one position of the felt disc firstportions of the one surface of the felt disc are vacuumed and secondportions of the one surface of the felt disc are sprinkled and in asecond position of the felt disc the first portions are sprinkled andthe second portions vacuumed whereby vacuuming and sprinkling occur onthe same surface of the felt disc.

2. A cleaning device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second annularduct is coplanar with said first annular duct.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 4Cunningham May 14, 1929 Wait July 23, 1935 MacLelland Sept. 2, 1941Hoffman Nov. 11, 1941 Pickett Mar. 10, 1942 Pickett Mar. 9, 1948Sedgwick Feb. 19, 1952

